Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 655 The Building Recited from the Back

Mi Zhiqi continued, "It's just that Xingcheng is too remote, which is a bit of a shame. If you had built this building in Fengtian, or even in Bingcheng or Xidu, it would have been a different story, with a different level of attention. Actually, higher visibility would have been beneficial for you too."

Wang Gang chimed in, "Then let's build one in Xidu, it's not a big deal."

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "I was thinking of staying in Fengtian Gai, but where is that place?"

Wang Gang said, "I don't know about other things, but I do know a bit about building. Are you going to build it or not? If you are, I'll help you find a place in Xidu."

Xiao Wei asked, "Where is it? It can't be in a remote location."

Wang Gang pointed at Li Weibing and said, "That one, who? Remember him? Where was that piece of land again?"

Li Weibing said, "Seventh Road. That's alright, not far from the station, between Kuancheng and Nanguan."

Wang Gang said, "Yes, Seventh Road. Let me tell you, we met a capable person. We'd never heard of him before, just an ordinary guy who was so poor he was starving and went to Singapore. He came back last year, and look what happened? He built a huge building himself. Right there on Seventh Road. We all went over to see it, and some people even wanted to mess with him, but we all stopped them. His money is not to be trifled with."

Zhang Jun understood these people well. They valued face and loyalty among acquaintances, but they would do anything to bully, exploit, and oppress outsiders. It was perfectly normal for them to try and take a bite out of ordinary people who could build a house; it was their giving up that was abnormal. He asked, "What's wrong? You have connections?"

Wang Gang said, "He has some connections, which might fool ordinary people, but they're not exactly respectable. The key thing is that the money this guy has is money from the dead, which is a bit taboo."

Everyone became interested and looked up at Wang Gang.

Wang Gang said, "Everywhere has its own customs when it comes to the dead, right? The customs in Singapore are quite peculiar. The dead can't ride in elevators. It's different there than here; it's developed, with lots of tall buildings. The dead have to be carried down from the top without stopping—it's considered unlucky. So, people slip tips to the corpse carriers at their doors to hurry up. That's what this guy does over there."

Li Weibing said, "This is actually a Japanese custom. Singapore was occupied by the Japanese for so many years, so it's like this now. This job can earn a lot of money. This kid made four or five million over there in three years."

Wang Gang said, "Now that he's made a fortune, he's come back and started looking for people to build a building in Xidu. I reckon once that building is up, he'll have enough to live on for the rest of his life."

Xiao Wei asked, "Four or five million in three years? Why don't the locals do this kind of lucrative work?"

You have to understand that in the early 90s, it was actually quite difficult for Chinese people to make money abroad. They were looked down upon all over the world and were ostracized everywhere they went. In those days, any job that paid even a little money or was considered prestigious was basically out of reach for Chinese people. This was frequently reported in the newspapers, and everyone knew it.

During this period, Chinese people abroad were doing the lowest-paying jobs: washing dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning sewers, living in dark and damp basements, being exploited by their bosses, the police, and street thugs. They lived like rats abroad, and the so-called money they made was entirely due to their frugality and the low income in China.

In 1991, the average monthly wage for workers was around 300 to 400 yuan, while in developed countries during the same period, due to inflation, it was five times that of China. As the saying goes, only those involved truly know the joys and sorrows of life; there are gains and losses, and only those who have experienced them truly understand the bitterness of it all.

Wang Gang said, "We feel like we're making money, but in the eyes of the locals, this job doesn't pay much, and it's dangerous, taboo, and makes people look down on us."

Li Weibing said, "Yes, the wages are not high by local standards. Most of the money comes from tips. There is a custom there to slip tips into the bodies carried by the corpse carriers so that the dead can pass by their door quickly. It's not a lot of money for the locals, but it adds up over time."

Wang Gang said, "We Chinese don't actually earn much money abroad, mainly because we don't spend it. When it comes to saving money, we Chinese are definitely the best." He gave a thumbs up: "We're incredibly resilient; once we have money, we just don't spend it. Sigh, so what if we earn some money? I can't understand it."

Li Weibing said, "The country is still poor. When the country becomes strong in the future, the people's mindset will probably change. Right now, we're so poor that we lack everything. If we have a little money, we'd squeeze water out of it. There's nothing we can do about it. This can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty. It's not easy being Chinese."

Zhang Jun chuckled and said, "You talk a good game, but what does all this have to do with you? You're always indulging in eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, aren't you? You say being Chinese is tough, but why don't you ever help out any poor people?"

Wang Gang said, "There's nothing I can do about it. These things are what I'm born with. Why should I suffer when I'm perfectly fine? Enjoying life is my destiny, and my sentimentality stems from my heart, you understand?"

Li Weibing said, "Dajun, you've really wronged Xiaogang. If Xiaogang knew that someone in the army was in trouble, he would be happy to lend a hand. I've seen him send money to others before, I think it was because someone's child couldn't afford to go to school, right?" He kicked Wang Gang.

Wang Gang was a little embarrassed and said, "It wasn't going to school, it was being hospitalized. My dad's orderly had been discharged a long time ago. He was really good to me back then. Once, when a letter came from home, I saw him crying. When I asked him, he wouldn't say anything, so I stole his letter to read it. It was quite a lot; it was all my pocket money at the time, more than two hundred yuan. Afterwards, my dad beat me up because I said I had lost the money."

Xiao Wei asked, "Why didn't you say so?"

Wang Gang said, "Who would believe me if I said that? I bet they'll cut it even more drastically."

Hao Dawei chimed in, "This guy's got guts. This money didn't come easily, it's honest."

Xiao Wei said, "As long as you can control yourself, there are plenty of ways and opportunities to make money. It just depends on whether you can grit your teeth. If you want to enjoy yourself and make money without going through the process, that's just dreaming. Unfortunately, there are too many dreamers."

Wang Gang asked, "Does that include us too?"

Everyone laughed. Xiaowei said, "You guys are starting your own business, right? It's not too late. You'll see in a year or two. That kind of money will feel more secure when you spend it. And it'll last longer too. Let me tell you, pay yourself a salary every month, and don't touch any money other than your salary. Save it. If you can do that, then I'll truly consider you my friend, and we can start over."

Wang Gang asked, "How much do you need to spend? Can't you just spend your money however you want?"

Xiao Wei said, "This little bit of money is nothing. To make big money, you need capital. This is just a process of accumulating capital. If you spend it now, this is all you'll ever be, understand? Then what right do you have to associate with me? Even if I'm willing to associate with you in the future, wouldn't you have the nerve to do it?"

Li Weibing clicked his tongue and nodded, saying, "That's true. It's impossible for one person to live together if they can't spend all their money and the other is penniless."

Wang Gang hesitated for a moment and asked, "How much do you earn per month?"

Xiao Wei said, "Two thousand is enough for normal expenses, isn't it? That's enough for you to brag about, isn't it?"

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(End of this chapter)